Court decision to keep Amnesty Turkey Chair in jail flies in the face of reason

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Responding to today’s decision by the Istanbul Court to continue the pre-trial detention of Amnesty International’s Turkey Chair, Taner Kılıç, John Dalhuisen said:

“Today in court lawyers for the defense and an independent expert witness demolished the prosecution’s arguments. All the evidence shows Taner is innocent but this evening he was nevertheless sent back to the overcrowded cell where he has spent more than five months.”

“The court’s decision to ignore this evidence and continue his detention flies in the face of reason. It is yet another opportunity missed to correct a gross injustice. We will continue to fight for his release and for the dropping of all charges against both him and the Istanbul 10.”

The next court hearing has been set for January 31, 2018

The restrictions to Kılıç receiving visits from his lawyers have been lifted as have the travel bans on other human rights defenders Özlem Dalkıran, Nejat Taştan and Veli Acu as conditions for their bail. Şeyhmus Özbekli’s reporting requirements have also been lifted.

Kılıç told the court that he has been held with 23 other people in an 8-person cell.